Thrift Schooling

Many thanks to Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms for sharing his 5 Tips for the Beginning Homesteader as part of the Thrift Steading launch. Our family has gained a tremendous amount of knowledge from his workshops at homeschooling events, tours of his farm, and the Homesteaders of America annual event. If you are considering homesteading, Mr. Salatin is your go-to for a wealth of information! Read his post below, take notes, and put his suggestions into action. Additionally, I have decided to send one winner a copy of his book, Polyface Micro , as part of the Thrift Steading launch! Details are at the end of this post. 5 Tips for the Beginning Homesteader By Joel Salatin Start Something Now Many wanna-be homesteaders become fixated on location and plans, often depleting their nest egg in a property and then realizing they don't have enough experience to actually pull it off. You can't Google experience, so the most valuable equity you can bring to a project is some sort of mas...

    What better way to start off the school year than with a family field trip to a farm? But not just any farm, Polyface Farms ! My husband and I had first heard of Joel Salatin of Polyface farms through one of those "recommended videos" on YouTube. I remember watching through a video of him talking and being inspired! We remember noticing that he was from the Shedendoah Valley and thinking, "hmm that's not too far from us," but kind of just left it at that. Then when I saw a list of speakers at a homeschooling convention I was thinking about attending this year, I saw his name. Interesting. Maybe his family homeschooled. Maybe he's a Christian. Maybe I should check out what this farm is all about. So. I did. I went to hear him speak during one of the convention sessions and let me tell you, it was life changing. Our family wants to live more of a sustainable lifestyle, growing and raising our own food and having enough to share and sell for a liv...